Posted on 05/01/2007 7:28:28 AM PDT by Help!
See video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqUPoQj5hV8
Tryon Under FEI Investigation Following Rolex Kentucky Le Samurai’s injury before the last fence at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event left spectators at the event and around the globe, who were watching on the Internet, shocked and upset. He jumped the last fence almost on three legs, and Amy Tryon, who had been in the lead after dressage, dismounted immediately upon crossing the finish line.
Members of the ground jury met later on April 28 to investigate the incident for alleged abuse. They reviewed written statements from the fence judges, watched the videotape and interviewed FEI Veterinary Delegate Dr. Catherine Kohn. They could not reach Tryon, because she had left the show grounds to be with Le Samurai.
Ground jury officials then referred the matter to the FEI Appeal Committee because the matter falls under their duties, according to article 164.4.5 of the FEI General Regulations, “In serious cases, immediate disqualification with one or more horses from a competition or from the whole event with referral to the Secretary General (for referral to the Judicial Committee.)”
Tryon was disqualified from the competition. She released a statement on April 29: “Le Samurai is resting comfortably at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute [Ky.] and has the best care that could be provided anywhere in the world. I wish to express that I am totally devastated about the injury he sustained yesterday but cannot comment further pending a review by the FEI. I’d give anything if this had not happened. I love this horse. Le Samurai is very special to me, and we share a deep bond that is beyond competition. Although we will no longer be competing together, we will always be partners. I thank everyone who has generously assisted with Le Samurai’s care and been so supportive.”
The FEI Judicial Committee (Ken Lalo of Israel, Erik Elstad of Norway, Jens Adolphsen of Germany, Patrick Boelens of Belgium, Leonidas C. Georgopoulos of Greece, Helen Huggett of Great Britain and Philip O'Connor of Ireland) may take any action, ranging from a warning, to a fine, to a suspension for any period of time or for life, if she is found to have violated the rules.
It sounds to me that the horse was injured before the jump?, but the rider kept going...was the injury bad enough that she knew he was injured?
Becky
I wonder how many horses were lost training in calvery.
OK - I’ve seen the video... The horse was off before the last jump, and after, certainly... Was it edited or were they just seconds from the finish?
It’s debatable to me whether the rider could clearly tell what was happening well enough to make a decision in real time that is as easy as in hindsight, they can’t see like we can.
See my above.... meant to reply to you :~)
Yes, that’s the debate, whether she just thought he “stung” himself or could plainly tell he was already injured. Some say he tried to break to a trot, but she kicked him on.
They were just moments from the finish, although this is 3-day eventing, so they still had the stadium phase to go. So finishing with a lame horse would get her nothing.
Bunny;Pancake;Head You know the drill.
He stumbled, seemed to recover, then went very gimpy on the foreleg. But then it seemed to get better, or the horse compensated for it.
Yeah, that woman’s leg needs to be broke and then force her to run around a jump...
Becky
I let the video load and watched...she had to know something was wrong...look how much that horses head was bobbing after that trip he took...She knew, and if she didn’t, she doesn’t need to be competing.
Becky
I never saw anything that indicated the horse seemed to get better, I saw him trying to slow down, then was urged on by the rider.
Becky
Prior to the jump he looks like he slips and crossfires a bit... Those kinds of things can be hard to interpret.
I’d hate to dump on a rider without cause... it can be pretty hard to tell definitively what’s going on in just seconds. I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt, in terms of accusations of abuse or negligence, and hope that the horse can go on to recover.
What is the extent of the injury? She speaks of his career in past tense at the end.
- USEA Lady Rider of the Year
- Chronicle of the Horse, Eventing Horseman of the Year
- Chronicle of the Horse, Eventing Horse of the Year
Amy Tryon’s 2006 successes included performances at every star level, around the world and with a variety of horses.
- Poggio II, individual Bronze Medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany
- Woodstock, 5th place at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****
- Le Samurai, 5th place at the Blenheim CCI*** in England
- Leyland, 1st place at the Galway Downs CCI**
- Coal Creek, 2nd place at the Galway Downs CCI*
But she is no spoiled brat; she worked as a firefighter while starting her eventing career.
Spotlight on U.S. Equestrian eventing star Amy Tryon
By Nikki Dee Corum // USOC Media Services // April 14, 2004
When Amy Tryon, U.S. Equestrian eventing rider, says that she got where she is today through hard work, don’t take her lightly. Tryon and her older sister got their first pony when Amy was only one year old. Raised by a single parent, Tryon was well aware of the financial strain that becoming an equestrian would put on her mother. So, she became content with watching her passion from a distance.
“I used to read books and watch video tapes of the people that I idolized, but I never thought that I would have the opportunity to compete at that level with those people and travel around the world,” says Tryon.
But Tryon’s mother was not about to let her daughter give up on that dream. Tryon began competitions in the local 4H when she was five years old, and rode in her first event at the age of eight. Since then, she has come a long way. Now, Tryon is a member of the U.S. Equestrian Team, competing at the highest level and riding among her role models. She can also boast of being an Olympic hopeful and a member of the World Champion Eventing Team, but even with her credentials, Tryon remains humble.
“I consider myself lucky,” she contends. “I’m happy to go out there every day and do it, because there are so many people who would love to be in my position. So, I’m enjoying it while I can.”
Tryon gets up about 6:30 a.m. and is in the barn by 8:00 a.m., riding between three and eight horses daily. In between rides, she takes care of the day-to-day responsibilities that come with owning a stable that boards 20 horses – keeping books, ordering hay, picking up rocks, repairing fences, cleaning stalls, and anything else that might come up. Not to mention feeding and grooming the horses. After a grueling day of work, Tryon gets in at around 9:00 p.m. with just enough time to eat dinner and go to bed.
“Every day I’m home, I ride. I probably take about two days off a year,” she says.
Tryon is also a full-time firefighter in Spokane, Wash., working 24-hour shifts every other day and getting four days off every five days. But her dream was not to become a firefighter. During college she began looking for a job with a schedule that would accommodate her riding. Immediately drawn to being a paramedic, Tryon began researching her field of choice. However, she soon discovered that the road to being a paramedic was long.
“You have to have experience as a firefighter before you can go to paramedic school. I started going to the fire academy and volunteering for the fire department. About a year and a half after I started testing, I got hired full time,” Tryon explains.
There are definitely sacrifices involved with being an Olympic hopeful. Tryon travels to the East Coast from her home in Washington for competitions and is often gone for months at a time, taking off time from work, leaving her husband to take care of the horses, and missing the support of her family and friends. But it will all be worth it for her to have the opportunity to compete in Athens this summer.
“My husband and I look at it as even though it’s a sacrifice for us financially, I don’t want to wake up when I’m 60 years old and say ‘I wish I had tried,’” says Tryon.
Not too long ago, Tryon’s Olympic career looked like it might be in jeopardy. Last May she had back surgery to correct problems that had progressed into painful pressure on her nerves. Taking a risk, Tryon decided to have surgery, and she says that it has made all the difference.
She couldn’t work or train for five months, but she began conditioning herself as soon as possible and feels like she is back in shape, though it has been an “uphill battle.”
The final step in Tryon’s path to the 2004 Olympic Games will be the Eventing Selection Trials, April 22-25, in Lexington, Ky. Though this competition will take her away from home once again, it has the prospect of bringing her closer to Athens.
Tryon has not only become a successful athlete, but also an inspiration. One thing that Tryon wants to communicate to young riders is that anyone can do what she has done, but the only way to get there is hard work.
“Work hard. Hard, hard, hard work. Anything is attainable if you work hard enough. You don’t have to have money or live in an area that has horses, but you have to work hard. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and be willing to learn,” Tryon advises.
***
Overnight leader Amy Tryon ended Saturday in second after adding 3.2 time penalties, but promptly withdrew the horse at the end of cross country. The horse sustained a serious injury at the last fence to his left front ankle and was moved from the finish to a veterinary clinic by horse ambulance.
“He has lost the ligamental support to the fetlock of the left front leg,” said FEI Veterinary Delegate Dr. Catherine Kohn. “He is resting comfortably this evening.”
***
Since I can’t bear to watch the footage I won’t speak in her defense but will say that it is very dangerous to pull up a galloping horse on XC in front of a fence. She may have thought he’d just stung himself or threw a shoe and figured she’d get let him go at the last jump and be done with it.
Then again, seeing as she was winning, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was more focused on coming in under the time and thus didn’t realize how hurt the horse was.
Very, very sad, no matter what.
I disagree, there is no doubt she knew something was wrong. Look at the video, at about the 16 second mark on the video, she obviously is looking down, in what looks like an attempt to see what is wrong. She shouldn’t be allowed to get on any horse again. To make a horse take a jump like that when you know or even suspect has a problem is the height of irresponsibility.
Becky
Hence the debate I guess. I won’t deny there was something wrong and that she was at the very least, in denial about that.
That's exactly what happened. You can see it. She even looked down obviously trying to see what he was doing, and the whole time his head was bobbing because of an obvious lameness.
Becky
And why she needs the book thrown at her.
I'm a bit surprised by your reaction to this.
Becky
I just think there’s a big difference, in terms of accusing someone of abuse or malice, between trying to cover up and ~enter~ a lame horse in something, and having the horse get injured and it taking several seconds to realize the extent of it during the heat of the moment. I’m not saying she’s definitively off the hook, I am just being cautious about joining in with allegations of malice....
Things are happening fast out there at a full gallop. Split second decisions - how bad is it, we're almost in, possible harm by pulling up abruptly from a full gallop in front of a fence - it's easy to sit in a chair and watch the video and say yeah, she should have realized immediately that it was a serious injury and pulled up. She didn't have the advantage of the video or the leisure to review her decision.
From what I’ve read, and been able to piece together from a few family history accounts, cavalry mounts were something near sacred, and a cavalry trooper’s responsibility toward his horse was roughly analogous to a naval captain’s responsibility toward his ship...unnecessarily hazarding a horse, like a vessel, was not dealt with lightly.
The fact that a horse tries to break to a trot at the end of a very tough cross country course (after steeplechase and roads-and-tracks as well) doesn't necessarily indicate a serious injury. When I went to the 96 Olympics 3-Day in person, I got to see ALL the entries, not just the front runners, and there were plenty of horses who just shut off when they had had enough.
There was 32 seconds between the time the injury showed up, and her finally getting off, after a big jump. She had plenty of time, and plenty of evidence to come to the right decision to get the horse to stop, rather then pushing him on to the jump. She just wanted to keep going with no concern for the animal. At the level of horsemanship she is supposedly at, she knew.
In obvious cases of deliberate neglect I have no problem calling it for what it is. In High level competition, sportsmanship and care of the horse should be the top most consideration.She had none.
Becky
The fact that the horses head was bobbing a lot....added to him trying to break to a trot...I’m sorry, she knew. I’ve been on horses before that were lame, with no head bobbing, at a walk, and I could feel it. She knew.
Becky
In hindsight, there's no question she should have pulled up. But I'm not going to say that she clearly knew something was wrong enough to pull up, as opposed to a sting or a cast shoe.
Well, she’s probably finished, at least at that level. It sounds like many are looking at it like you are. And I don’t disagree that the welfare of the horse needs to be the primary motive in this or any competition.
IMO, I don't care how little or how much a horse is acting off. If you've been riding a sound horse, and it suddenly goes lame, you get off IMMEDIATELY and check to see what is wrong. You don't first see if he can work it out. And that horse was obviously more then a little off.
Becky
Good. She needs to be finished at all levels.
Becky
I grew up raising, training and competing with horses although not the jumping variety like this. My dad had upwards of 200 horses on his ranch at one point so I know a bit about horses and the people who work with them.
Two points:
This horse was very clearly missing steps and in pain long before that jump. When you sit on the back of an animal, there is no mistaking even a change in gate, let alone what was an injury significant enough to be visible in a youtube video. This rider very clearly knew her horse was hurt and she weighed the win more important than her animal.
I'm disgusted having watched the video and this woman should never ride another horse.
Cheers,
Lloyd
I understand. I’m a rider and horse lover myself.
I thought it important to give her a fair consideration before picking up my pitchfork and torch and joining the mob ;~)
Whoo Hoo....two thumbs up for you!!!!!
I get madder and madder everytime I watch the darn thing. Ruined my good mood today:) It’s just disgusting.
Becky
People that work at Hagyard vet hospital have said that Amy has not left “Sparky’s” stall since he got there. She was supposed to receive an award at the Rolex event, but did not go as she was staying with the horse.
Oh wahhhhhhh...she’s such a martyr. Does she own this horse? If she didn’t own it, I wouldn’t let her anywhere near it. Showing concern after the fact means ZIP.
Becky
It's important, except when it's sOOOOOOOO obvious what happened. I don't see how you can defend it. Really. I'm not really being deliberately confrontational...I'm just very surprised. You don't think it's obvious that she knew, that she should have known, that she urged the horse on even after she knew...and even after that she deserves "fair consderation"???? You said yourself, "at the least she was in denial"...If that's the case you don't think she should be pitchforked and torched:)...And I never said that anyway, I just think they should break her leg and make her take a jump.
Becky
I gave my impressions after watching it once. I’m not going to watch it over and over again, and I didn’t want to be inclined to argue it one way or the other. Others will decide her fate.
It must be a nice feeling to know that you’ve never made a mistake with a horse, Becky.
Rolex this year was a QUALIFING event for the Olympics....The rider is in first place after dressage... what looks to be like a clean XC and in with a shot...
OOOPPPS I feel something here....but hopefully it is not too bad, maybe a bit of ice etc. and things will come right for showjumping and I get my qualifing score
In this case the gamble DID NOT pay off. Riding is a career for her, and with all careers, pleople take calulated risks and gambles....unfortunately another living being....with out a choice...is forced to pay the price.
Yeah, it’s nice to know I’ve never made a mistake like that!!!!
You know there are things in this world that are totally obvious, and totally unacceptable, and should be punished accordingly.
You people who want to give this woman the benefit of the doubt, are promoting abuse under the guise of ignorance.
Becky
All I can say is, I’ve been on horses who pulled a shoe or nicked themselves slightly, and it felt like they had shorn off a leg. I’ve been on horses who were seriously injured and, full of adrenalin, they ran straight and true. It is very difficult sometimes to figure out what’s going on down there. And if Tryon pulled the horse up because he threw a shoe or got a surface cut, the horse world would be pounding on her over that. I’m just having a bit of trouble with the vicious tone taken toward someone who has clearly made an error in judgment in a difficult situation. Let’s put down the rope and disperse the lynch mob until after the FEI investigation is over.
There was nothing difficult about it. When you are riding a sound horse, and it suddenly goes lame, a little or a lot, you immediately get off and check to see if it's serious or not. That is if you care. If it's not, you continue. There was no reason here for an error in judgment.
On a forum that is designed to debate issues, to let people voice opinions, it's a cop out to suddenly say, let's not voice an opinion till the investigation is over. I don't care what the FEI says, this is my opinion, I'm not going to wait to have someone else do my thinking. I can see the same video they are looking at, and I can make an opinion.
Becky
If you ride, and definitely if you compete, you are taking a calculated risk every time you swing into the saddle. No matter how you prep you can not guarentee that both of you are going to be crossing the finish line or going home. A hole in the ground, a misstep going into the water, a bobble, and for one of you it is all over. That is the nature of the sport and riding in general.
Originally Posted by Lord Helpus on the Chronical site:
I am not going to comment on Amy Tryon. She does not deserve my thoughts. It is the job of the FEI to deal with her.
Le Samurai however has gained my highest respect. He is the epitome of courage and trust that our equine partners have. The elite athletes at the **** or World Cup level must have total faith that their riders will not ask them to do anything that they are not capable of doing.
These horses will gallop until they drop, jump until they break, all to please the human on their back. A less generous and brave horse will set its own limits, but not an elite equine athlete. Yes, they must love their job. But, without a rider, a horse will not jump the Rolex fences. He does it because he is asked to, not because it is a natural instinct.
However, TB’s are bred to race and Barbaro would have kept racing, but for Prado’s superhuman efforts to pull him up, beginning THE VERY STRIDE after his leg broke. (For those who say that a rider cannot tell immediately, watch the video of the Preakness in slow motion. Edgar Prado was going for the second leg of the Triple Crown on the favorite and yet he reacted on the very next stride to get Barbaro stopped.)
Riders of these special horses owe them a higher level of care, since the horses will not stop on their own, if their riders continue to ask them to gallop or jump.
Le Samurai is a hero. I get goosebumps just thinking about his bravery jumping that last jump, three legged, in pain, and exhausted. Just because his rider asked him to.
For all these horses do for us, we owe them more than second class consideration. Their welfare should come before EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. One more jump, one more stride, one more step.
AT was doing more than riding Le Samurai; she was representing a sport which has a dicey reputation in the eyes of animal rights activists, anyway. And she is/was a role model of thousands of children who aspire to ride like her, but who now question the morals and goals of those at the top levels. She probably also has sponsors who are now in an awkward position.
Riders at the top are not just going for a gallop in the park, they have many levels of responsibilities. She hurt more than a noble horse. She has a lot to answer for.
But, first she has to answer to her horse. He will probably be the first to forgive her because that is his nature.
“it is very dangerous to pull up a galloping horse on XC in front of a fence.” from post # 16.
Given that horses are bred for jumping, and that some are injured or killed jumping, is it possible that your attachment to horses may have resulted in your having lost awareness of the obvious fact that horses are more expendable than the riders?
They are animals, after all. The rider in question has an exemplary record and I am curious as to why you are so condemnatory of her.
My experience with horses was limited to saddle horses in the mountains of Colorado, back in my prep school days. I am afraid that broom polo was as competitive as I got. Oops! I forgot a bit of barrel racing, which thanks to the horse, I won.
Good post by Lord Helpus.
But having said this
I am not going to comment on Amy Tryon. She does not deserve my thoughts
I don't think there as any doubt what he thinks about the woman and what should be done about her.
Becky
She was a good distance from the fence, she had plenty of time to pull up. And besides the horse was trying to slow down on it’s own, she wasn’t going to have to pull him up from a gallop.
I am condemnatory of her because at the level of horsemanship she should be at to be competing at that level, she should have, and I feel did know something was wrong.
I’ll say it again, when you are riding a sound horse, and it suddenly goes lame, you stop immediately and check to see if you can tell how serious it is.
Becky
I agree. His feelings about her are clear. I appreciate his sentiments for the horse. They were very well put.
Fine, you can have an opinion. No one is saying you can’t. But the fact that you have not addressed the point I raised—that sometimes it is impossible to tell what is wrong or how serious a problem is when a horse goes off, particularly on uneven ground—makes it unclear what your level of experience is, and thus how much stock to place in your opinion. How many times in your life have you had a horse go off under you when he was at a dead gallop? In other words, if you’re really Catherine Henriquet or Sally O’Connor writing incognito, we’re more likely to defer to your wisdom.
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